Dead Boy’s Parents Sue School District

The parents of a 7-year-old who was killed by a pickup truck after he got off a school bus sued the Capistrano Unified School District this week, alleging officials were negligent in hiring and training a bus driver who did not flash his stop signals.

Thomas William and Barbara Lanni said in their lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court, that district officials failed to design an adequate plan that would prevent students from getting off a bus at a wrong stop and that would provide assistance for students to cross the street.

Their son, Thomas E. Lanni, was killed on April 22 while crossing Aliso Niguel in front of a stopped school bus. Thomas, who had just moved with his family from New York, had been riding the bus for the first time. He mistakenly got off one stop before where his mother was waiting for him.

The warning lights of the bus were not flashing. At least three of the students who disembarked at the stop live on the other side of the street, but the bus driver told investigators he was unaware any would be crossing to get home.

Because of the boy’s premature death, the lawsuit stated, his family has been “deprived of (his) future support, love, care, comfort, affection . . . and, thus have suffered pecuniary and non-economic loss.”

The suit seeks an undetermined amount in general, special and punitive damages. The Lannis filed it after district officials in June denied their claim that made similar allegations. In that claim, Thomas’ parents said they were seeking at least $10 million in damages.

Capistrano Unified officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.